Ugandans still suffering from deadly garbage collapse

WHEN the giant landfill collapsed in Uganda's capital Kampala a year ago, Zamhall Nansamba thought she was hearing an aeroplane taking off.

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Then came screams and a giant wave of garbage rushing towards her, ripping up trees as it went.

Nansamba, 31, grabbed her children and ran. She was luckier than most - the avalanche of waste killed some 35 people before stopping at her doorstep.

Many survivors of the collapse at the Kiteezi dump on August 9, 2024, have yet to be compensated for their losses, leaving them trapped at the dangerous garbage site.

“We are living a miserable life,” Nansamba said.

Kiteezi is the largest landfill in Kampala, serving the city’s residents since 1996, receiving 2 500 tons of waste daily.

City authorities recommended closing it when it reached capacity in 2015, but garbage kept coming.

The disaster highlighted the challenge of managing waste in many rapidly urbanising African cities.